1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of forming a structure, structure forming apparatus, computer readable storage medium and processing medium for forming a structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method of forming a foamed structure is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-150812. This foamed structure forming method prepares a medium with an expanding layer provided on its one surface, wherein the expanding layer is expanded, when heated, and forms a shading image in an intended area on the other surface of the medium and then heats the medium where the shading image is formed, expanding the expanding layer of the medium where the shading image formed. But the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-150812 discloses nothing about a method of forming a foamed structure, which forms a visible flat image such as a color image on the surface of the medium on the same side as the expanding layer is provided, before the expanding layer of the medium is expanded, and forms an image on the expanded layer after the expanding layer of the medium is expanded.
When printing is performed on the medium after the surface of the medium has been expanded, since the surface of the medium is expanded, it is hard to perform printing on such medium using a printing system such as an offset printing system which performs printing at a printing speed relatively higher than an ink-jet printing system. For instance, since the printer of the ink-jet printing system, which are widely used among general households, are designed on the premise that they are used to perform printing on a flat surface of a printing medium, it is hard for the printer of the ink-jet printing system to perform printing on the expanded irregular surface of the printing medium while maintain an enhanced printing quality. When the printer of the ink-jet printing system is used to perform printing on the irregular surface of the medium, it is required to use a special printer in place of the versatile printer to maintain an enhanced quality in printing.